It’s breakfast’s time! We’re not just eating it, we’re tweeting and blogging about it. All this exposure has lead to innovation and the subtle evolution of our classic breakfast dishes, with a greater emphasis on seasonality and provenance. And with a new breed of artisan producers offering premium quality products, the opportunities for improvements are huge.
With such a philosophy, even pedestrian dishes such as beans on toast can be transformed with the inclusion of dry cured bacon, smoky chipotle chillies and spring onion. You can buy a loaf or sourdough for the toast but I strongly recommend making your own soda bread the night before. Unlike yeast-leavened bread it doesn’t require kneading, proving or rising, so it’s very simple to make.
Add 250g of wholemeal flour, 250g of plain flour, 150g of jumbo oat flakes, 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda and 1 teaspoon of salt into a large bowl. Pour in 500ml of buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of honey. Gently pull together to form a dough (don’t knead or it will become tough). Shape into a round, flattish loaf and cut a cross in the top to allow the bread to expand and rise. Sprinkle with flour and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C, for around 40 minutes, or until well risen and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack, and leave to cool.
Smoky Bacon Beans, Garlic Kale & Grilled Soda Bread
- Prep Time 30
- Cook Time 180
- Serves 4
Ingredients
500g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnightSplash of olive oil
200g smoked streaky bacon, diced into chunks
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 chipotle chilli
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
200ml red wine vinegar
100g soft brown sugar
500ml water
In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium heat and sauté the bacon until golden. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft.
Add the paprika and cook for a further 2 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, chili, vinegar, sugar and water and bring to the boil.
Drain the beans, add to the tomato sauce and simmer for 1 hour or until the beans are soft and the sauce has thickened. Check seasoning.
For garlic kale, boil the kale for 1 min, drain and sauté for 1 min in garlic olive oil. Season.
Serve the smoky bacon beans with grilled or toasted soda bread and the garlic kale.
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